Extending the length of ethernet cables beyond the recommended 100 meters would result in bandwidth deterioration, latency issues and slower transmission speeds, signal deterioration, and eventual signal loss.
The concise answer is that most manufacturers recommend a maximum distance of 100 meters (about the length of a football field), or 328 feet, when running ethernet cables outdoors. Any further than that, and the wires could still work, but you risk connectivity issues the further you push past this limit.
In most cases, the length of the Ethernet cable will have no effect on the speed (bandwidth and throughput) and I say that because there are very rare cases when people use Ethernet cables longer than 300 feet.
A Cat5e or Cat6 Ethernet cable can reach 295 feet (90 meters), with up to 16 feet (5 meters) of patch cable on either end, for a total of nearly 328 feet (approximately 100 meters). The signal begins to deteriorate once you go beyond this distance, lowering your connection speed and dependability.
Cat6 cables support 10Gbps for a distance up to 180 ft (55m). If you go beyond this then the speed will drop to 1 Gbps.
Another disadvantage is the compatibility. Cat 6 cables are not compatible with some older network devices and ports, which means you might need to use adapters or converters to connect them.
Ethernet cables are used to connect your computer to your router, and are specifically designed to work over a maximum distance of 328 feet or 100 meters. This is assuming your cable is placed in an ambient temperature of 68°F (20°C) or below, and your ethernet cable is made of 22 to 24 AWG copper.
Conclusion. To put it simply, the data transmission speed of ethernet network cables remains constant as long as they are run at their specified lengths. However, running cables longer than their recommended lengths reduce the data transmission speeds.
While a number of variables determine actual speed of a WiFi connection and an Ethernet connection, Ethernet is almost always faster than WiFi.
CAT 7 Ethernet cables support higher bandwidths and much faster transmission speeds than Cat 6 cables. As a result they are much more expensive than their Cat 6 counterparts, however, if you are looking for better performance, they are worth the extra cost.
You may have a slow Ethernet connection for the following reasons: The Ethernet cable you're using is faulty or damaged. Ethernet cable is of a lower category and has a lower data transfer cap. Ethernet ports where you are connecting the Ethernet cable are having a problem.
Compared to Cat5/5e cables, Cat6 cables have stricter performance specifications and significantly higher data transfer speeds at greater distances.
No, using an ethernet cable does not slow down WiFi for others connected to your network. It might even speed up your WiFi connection as it will have to service one less device. However, if your wired device is using lots of bandwidth for file sharing or downloading you may experience slower speeds.
Ethernet - 100 meters (328 feet)
Cat7 gets advertised for its 100 Gbps speed, but that will only work for distances up to 15 meters (slightly over 49 feet).
Standards for cable distance recommend that Cat5, Cat5e, Cat6 and Cat6a cables have a maximum cable segment run length of 100 meters or 328 feet. The cable distance specifications are part of the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) and Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA) standards.
Each network segment can have a maximum cabling distance of 100 metres (328 ft). One pair is used for each direction, providing full-duplex operation with 100 Mbit/s of throughput in each direction.
And ethernet is a local area network access technology. So, any cable that enables connection with a system/device, within a Lan, you can name it “ethernet cable” or “network cable.” Apparently, there is no difference between LAN, Network, and Ethernet cables. Network cables comprise ethernet and Lan cables.
If you're still getting consistent speed test results when connected to your router via Ethernet, your speed issue is most likely caused by something in your Wi-Fi network. Slow Wi-Fi can come from all sorts of things, including physical obstructions like walls, signal interference, or even outdated devices.
Choose Ethernet for its secure connection, consistent speeds, and low latency. It's not an attractive solution—we get it. But Ethernet is just better in specific scenarios, like gaming online and streaming to media centers. Read our guide showing you how to connect your devices to the local network using Ethernet.
If you want faster internet speeds, Cat6 is a good choice. It reduces something called “crosstalk” — signal transfers that disrupt your communication channels. If you are happy with your current internet speeds, however, Cat5 might be all you need. Besides, Cat5 cables tend to be cheaper than Cat6.
In 2002, Cat7 wire cabling standards were ratified, allowing 10 Gigabit Ethernet Cat7 cable diameters of over 100m of copper cabling. Cat7 maximum length, like Cat5e, Cat6, and Cat6A, has a maximum distance of 328 feet (100 meters).
The network cable types you need are mostly determined by the speed of the Internet you are using. It would be a waste to purchase a 10Gbps Cat6a cable if you are not gonna use 10Gbps speed of the Internet to match it and take advantage of its full potential.
NEVER run communications cable in the same pathway as 120V or higher electrical wiring unless the pathway has a listed divider or permanent barrier to keep them separate.